Phil Cunningham
Founder | Sunrise Animation Studies
Phil is a leader in Africa’s entertainment industry, but he didn’t start out that way. He grew up in a rural area of Zimbabwe and started a small agricultural business to make money as a young man. He didn’t see his first film until he was 14, but when he did, it changed his life. He immediately saw the power of storytelling, particularly through animation. He knew he wanted to tell great stories, and in the late 90s, he wrote and produced Africa’s first feature-length animation film. Today, he runs Sunrise Productions, the studio behind the massively successful Youtube series and Netflix film “JungleBeat.” He has bigger aspirations with his next project though: a beautifully animated rendition of the story of David.
Phil Cunningham joins the show to talk about the power of excellent storytelling and why he thinks the African film industry can leave an impression on the big Hollywood studios.